[TF 37754370] Vicarage on site of St. James' Priory [GT] (Benedictine). (1)

Freiston Priory of St. James was founded as a cell of the Benedictine Abbey of Crowland soon after 1114, and continued until the dissolution of the mother house in 1539. The Vicarage is 17th century. (a) Four stone coffins were discovered in 1900 during digging for a well [T.F. 3775435 - see OS 25" 1905]. They were not disturbed and there are probably others near. Human remains were seen in one which had no lid. The top of another had a perfectly formed floriated cross. All the coffins appeared to be earlier than 1300. [See TF 34 SE 9 for remains of Priory Church]. (2-5)

There are no visible remains of the priory in the Georgian Vicarage, (see GP AO/65/38/4) but old cellars have been blocked up. The vicar has struck building foundations over a wide area of his garden and has seen soil marks in adjacent fields suggesting filled-in fishponds; these were not visible at the time of investigation. (6)

TF 378437 Site of the Benedictine Priory of St James. A small excavation by Mr G Bullivant in the former vicarage kitchen area produced unstratified finds including medieval and post medieval pottery, also a rose-like medallion from a Saintonge chafing dish.

TF 378436. Messrs G Bullivant and J T Murphy and boys from Kitwood Secondary School excavated Monk's Fishpond (at 'A') in the grounds of Freiston Priory. Stone walling with hand-made bricks above and oak timbers were revealed. The filling contained much post-medieval pottery and some glass and it was probably filled in in the 18th century. (7)

The excavations took place at 37774372 and at the alleged Monks Fish pond at TF 37734358. The finds are with Mr Bullivant (b). (8)